Google to Users: Your Account May Be Under Attack

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Yesterday (Oct. 2) Google began to issue a warning similar to one
it had sent in June to tens of thousands of Gmail users to inform
them that their accounts may be targeted by hackers.

"We believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to
compromise your account or computer," the warning reads in black
text on a red banner. "Protect yourself now," a link to Google
support page says.

"It's likely that you received emails containing
malicious attachments, links to malicious software downloads,
or links to
fake websites that are designed to steal your passwords or
other personal information,"
warns the support page. "Google's internal systems are not
compromised and that this message does not refer to one specific
campaign."

The page encourages users to treat all links and attachments with
skepticism, ensure that they're on the real page when logging
into Google and to enable
2-step verification, a recent feature that sends a unique
code to the user's mobile device to be used in conjunction with
their password. Users are also encouraged to keep their software
and plug-ins up-to-date.

Google said the warning will be seen by tens of thousands of new
users in the coming days. Malicious traffic has been heavier than
the software developer expected. Based on Twitter, so far, many
of the warning’s recipients appear to be journalists and policy
experts, noted
Bits, The New York Times technology blog.

"Gmail tells me that state-sponsored attackers may be attempting
to compromise my account or computer. Looks like I've arrived!"
tweeted
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, director for the Center for the
Study of Terrorist Radicalization at the Foundation for Defense
of Democracies. The editor of Wired's Danger Room security blog,
Noah
Schactman, also tweeted about the warning and tagged it
“#WhatTookYouSoLong.” American Security Project fellow and PBS
columnist
Joshua Foust tweeted a screen-shot of the warning. “This did
not make me particularly happy,” he said.

Information security team manager Mike Wiacek told Bits that
Google has gathered additional information about the
sophisticated hacking groups targeting Google users and the
techniques they employ. He said the attacks were coming from "a
slew of different countries" but declined to identify any by
name.

In January 2010, hackers, believed to be backed by the Chinese
government, used sophisticated hacking methods to break into the
Gmail accounts of Chinese dissidents and human rights advocates.
They also attempted to steal Google's intellectual property and
caused problems for another 20 companies including Adobe Systems.

According to Wiacek, there has been an increase in
state-sponsored online attacks overall. They're unlikely to abate
anytime soon.